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Although some infield spots remain kind of a problem with Jazz Chisolm Jr. still out, the Yankees find themselves in the unique position of having more players than open spots between the outfield and the Designated Hitter position.
Although this is a very good thing, it’s impossible to ignore the decisions that Aaron Boone and the front office face, and not everyone is going to be happy all the time regardless of what they choose. To be clear, though, this is what you want: players fighting for a bigger role and showing that they deserve it.
We decided to ask Yankee fans which starting outfield trio is their preferred choice for the AL East-leading Yanks.
Kyle Thele
Although this question sticks only with the outfield alternatives, it inevitably brings Ben Rice and Paul Goldschmidt into the equation as well, as the Yankees’ primary choices at first and DH. Goldschmidt has been phenomenal, but even Rice, who doesn’t have the same pedigree, has been just as great that the overwhelming majority of fans want to see him out there every day, leading to only five percent voting to keep all four outfielders in the lineup, with one of them rotating at DH.
It’s been an unusual, and great, season for Trent Grisham on all fronts, as none of what the former Padre is doing has been in line with his career norm. Known for his elite glove, Grisham has been below his standards on the field but is making up for it with the best hitting numbers of his career.
An everyday player for the Padres between 2020 and 2023, Grisham was in the 92nd percentile or higher in Outs Above Average in each season during that period. A little over 40 games into the 2025 campaign, Grisham is in the 35th percentile in OAA with a -5 DRS mark.
Drastically cutting down his K rate from a career mark of 25.9 percent to under 20 percent, and with his best barrell% (16.8) in a single season, Grisham is crushing the baseball to the point of having the second highest OPS on the team (.929).
Cody Bellinger and Jasson DomÃnguez are having similarly solid seasons with the bats, and if you asked anyone before the year, they’d feel better about these two’s ability to maintain successful campaigns hitting-wise than Grisham.
Carrying the experience of multiple World Series appearances and a title in 2020, Bellinger seems to be the most preferred second choice of the bunch. While Grisham has struggled defensively, particularly if you account for the expectations around his work on the field, Bellinger has lived up to the billing as a plus defender, currently in the 91st percentile on Outs Above Average.
DomÃnguez doesn’t have the experience of Bellinger, and he isn’t exactly crushing the ball like Grisham, but he remains the most precious player in this outfield outside of Judge. The production from those other players does wonders to take some of the pressure away from DomÃnguez, who doesn’t need to carry the offense or anything close to it. At the same time, he is playing well enough to warrant a significant role in this rotation, so to speak.